[Houston Chronicle March 26, 1995]

By Katherine Feser
Houston Chronicle

The city of Nassau Bay has staked a claim that possibly no other town can match.

Half of the people who walked on the moon have lived there.

"In the early days of Nassau Bay, there were a great many astronauts living in the neighborhood," recalls resident Charlotte Reem. So many that the streets had to be blocked off after space flights to control the crowds.

Although people don't get so excited about space flights now, the city still flies American flags and posts a mock space shuttle in the yards of astronauts to welcome them home after flights. Residents also decorate the streets with banners and wreaths.

In the 1960s, when Houston was competing with Cocoa Beach, Fla., to land the space center, the developers of Nassau Bay did what they could to boost the ambience.

They named the lakeside community after an island in the Bahamas and planted a bunch of palm trees. Many of the streets, which are lined with gas lamp style lights, also sport names from the Bahamas.

"We were really built to support NASA with both office space and housing," says City Manager David Stall.

Among major employers in the area are Lockheed, IBM, Boeing and McDonnell Douglas and St. John Hospital. Many residents also work at chemical companies along the Ship Channel and in Texas City. The community has a population of about 4,500 and covers an area of around two square miles.

Nassau Bay is surrounded on three sides by bodies of water - Clear Lake, Clear Creek and Cow Bayou. Waterfront homes are usually priced from $300,000 to $500,000. Houston Yacht Club and Lakewood Yacht Club are accessible.

Off the water, prices generally range from $100,000 to $250,000. Townhouses run from $70,000 to $180,000.

"The big advantage is that the taxes are low," says John F. Karl, a broker at Prudential McCarver Realtors. Since the city manages its own water and utilities, there are no separate utility district taxes. Back-door garbage pickup is provided.

The city has its own police and volunteer fire departments.

Neighborhood facts and map.